


Simple Things

by Aerys_Krystie



Category: Four Brothers (2005)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-27 05:33:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13241499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aerys_Krystie/pseuds/Aerys_Krystie
Summary: Not everyone is cut out to be a big brother. It's a good thing Jack has Bobby.





	Simple Things

**Author's Note:**

> Redone because I didn't like the original post of it. I hope this one is better.

**~Simple Things~**

**By:** Aerys Krystie.

 **Theme:** AU — Pre movie.

 **Plot:** Bobby picks up Jack from school and they bond a little, before Bobby has to do big brother duties.

 **Warnings:** Language, slight slash (if you squint), OOC.

 **Disclaimer:** Everything of and referring to Four Brothers is not mine. This is a fan-made, non-profit story. Please support the official release.

 

* * *

Bobby sighed as he sat in the car, waiting for the bell to ring. He wasn’t expecting traffic to be decent, as he usually got there a minute or two after the bell had already rung. He yawned and glanced up at the sky, seeing that clouds were rolling in. Aside from that, it was clear and the sun was shining brightly. He glanced at the sidewalk he was parked beside when the bell finally rang.

He watched as kids streamed out and raised an eyebrow when there seemed to be a patch of ice on the sidewalk, just as it became a corner. He couldn’t help but smirk as he saw teens stumbling and falling, laughing at their antics. Bobby snickered as he watched one girl fall and take her friends down as they tried to help her up. They laughed merrily, as though it was the best thing to happen to them that day. They stood to the side and Bobby raised an eyebrow as he thought they would warn others about the patch of ice. However, he felt a spark of pride as they laughed when others fell instead.

Bobby’s eyes were drawn from the falling teens as one caught his attention. He was standing on the verge, talking with a group and more than just his breath was coming out of his mouth. Bobby sighed and shook his head, wondering why the kid would get hooked on cigarettes. He opened the door and stepped out, walking around the patch of ice and noticing that the kids parted for him. It seemed many of them had older siblings that had gone to school with him or his reputation was bigger than he thought possible.

The group his baby brother was standing with frantically tapped Jack on the shoulder, while putting out their smokes. Jack looked over his shoulder and his eyes closed as he realized Bobby had seen him. Jack’s friends made excuses and ran across the street, which made Bobby feel a little better. He was surprised that Jack didn’t bother to put out his smoke. Instead, he finished it and walked behind Bobby, keeping his eyes down. With a smirk, Bobby skirted the patch of ice and glanced over his shoulder. He laughed with the girls as Jack slipped and fell back.

“You fuckin’ suck, Bobby,” Jack muttered as he got to his feet gracefully and slid along the ice. He got into the car and hunkered down in his hoodie, watching as other kids slipped on the ice.

Bobby grinned as he saw the smile on Jack’s face. They stayed silent for a few minutes, just watching the kids that stumbled and the ones that fell. Eventually, they began making predictions on who would fall. Bobby wasn’t sure if Jack was aware that he’d spent more time on the ice than anyone else. He knew what to look for with their knees. However, he wasn’t about to pass up a little action and he could use his win to help Jack get over the addiction.

“If I win, you give up smokin’,” he said and met Jack’s stunned eyes as his head snapped to him. He felt a shiver go down his spine when Jack bit his lower lip and his eyes dropped.

“Okay,” Jack said softly and looked up again. “But if _I_ win, you have to do somethin’ for me.”

Bobby raised an eyebrow as Jack didn’t continue. He shrugged and looked at the group of five that were walking toward the ice. “Three of them will fall,” he predicted, while Jack said two would and they’d take down another.

They waited with baited breath and Bobby chuckled as three of them slipped on the ice and crashed to the ground. He watched the pair behind them and said they’d stumble, which Jack said one would fall. He saw the way Jack’s widened as the pair stumbled and looked back the ice, as though trying to figure out why they hadn’t seen it.

Jack watched as a single kid was walking by, Bobby saying she would fall. He didn’t bother to contradict his brother, as he knew what he was looking for. It wasn’t surprising when she fell, so he just sighed and pulled out his packet of cigarettes and his lighter and handed them to Bobby. He did laugh softly as one kid hurrying by with his arms full of books slipped, while Bobby chuckled at another that was carrying some project.

He blinked as he felt Bobby’s hand on his hand that was holding the smokes, pushing it back to him. “As long as you don’t smoke in the house or break the law or do somethin’ else questionable to get the money to pay for ’em, you can smoke, Jackie.”

Jack looked at Bobby, watching as his eyes danced at such a simple pleasure in life of watching kids slip on a patch of ice. He couldn’t remember the last time Bobby looked so alive, since he was thrown out of the league. He wanted to say something, anything, but he couldn’t think of a thing. So he went back to watching the kids slipping and stumbling. He joined in with Bobby, chuckling as one girl managed to take down the four friends she was walking with.

He smiled as he felt Bobby’s hand on his neck, the fingers making small circles at the base of his skull. Bobby smiled and removed his hand, starting the car as the last kid walked by and slipped. He drove them home and glanced at Jack, seeing that his head back, turned towards his window as he watched the city pass by. If it wasn’t for his reflection, Bobby would’ve thought him asleep.

As he pulled up in front of home, he saw that Jack didn’t budge. He placed a hand on Jack’s shoulder, which brought him out of his reverie with a jolt. He blinked his big blue eyes and looked around. “What’s wrong, Jack? You ain’t zoned out like that in a while, man.”

Jack glanced at him, almost shyly before he shrugged and opened the door. Bobby followed him out of the car and up to the back door. “Just thinking, man. It was nice to sit and laugh with ya.”

Bobby laughed and ruffled Jack’s hair as he opened the door. “You been worried about me, you little fairy?”

Jack glared over his shoulder at the nickname. “Fuck you, Bobby,” he said with a light tone. He dropped his backpack on the table and pulled out three textbooks, before his notebooks and Bobby raised an eyebrow.

It was unlike Jack to do his homework at the kitchen table. Bobby cracked a beer and poured Jack a glass of milk, placing it on the table. He watched as Jack started with his algebra homework, his eyes widening slightly as he saw how easily his brother went through it. The same with his chemistry homework and Bobby was getting a little worried. He wanted to make sure his brother wasn’t cutting drugs, since he knew formulas and algebra, along with a little calculus so easily. He shook his head, deciding that he should stop jumping to conclusions. Jack wasn’t stupid.

Bobby went to head for the living room, deciding it was weird that he was watching his little brother do his homework. He stopped when Jack said his name and looked over his shoulder. “What’s wrong, man?”

“I…I…” Jack lowered his eyes and Bobby stood beside him, looking at the last textbook. He saw a slip of paper sticking out of the book and pulled it out, hearing Jack inhale sharply. “It doesn’t matter,” he said and tried to snatch the paper back.

Bobby easily kept Jack at a safe distance and unfolded the note from the teacher. His eyes widened and he lowered it, glaring at Jack. “You’re _failin’_ English?!” he demanded and shoved Jack back into the chair. “Why the fuck are you failin’ such an easy class?”

Jack’s hand fidgeted in his lap, keeping his eyes on them. “I don’t know how…” he finally mumbled and Bobby narrowed his eyes.

Without asking permission, he pulled out Jack’s book report on _Of Mice and Men_ and flipped through it. His anger died off when he saw that the answers were spelled correctly, with correct grammar and were detailed. There was absolutely reason for the teacher to fail him on that, but the giant red F was on the top corner. He lowered the report. Jack was refusing to meet his gaze and Bobby felt his mouth go dry.

Not wanting to, he grabbed Jack’s arm and pulled up the sleeves. He growled when he saw fresh bruises around his wrists. Jack tried to pull away, but Bobby held him and lifted the bottom of his shirt, seeing more bruises. He forced Jack’s head up and stared into his terrified eyes. He was really starting to detest the way the teachers at that school treated him and his brothers, especially since Jack was still in the mindset that he deserved to be punished for some wrongdoing that never happened.

He sat Jack down and told him to finish his homework, while he got the name of the teacher. He went upstairs to Ma’s room and dialed Jerry’s number. If Angel was still around, he would’ve asked him to help him pay the teacher a beating. As soon as Jerry said no, Bobby explained what happened and instantly Jerry was on board. He said he’d have the gas can ready to go and Bobby’s eyes flashed.

Bobby told Jerry to be there at seven. He hung up and tried to think of a lie to tell Ma, as he didn’t want her worrying about them. He closed his eyes and shook his head, dialing Jerry again and told him to bring the gas can around now. He told him that if Ma called for him or Jack there to say that they were outside having a smoke. Jerry said he’d be around in a few minutes and Bobby hung again, running downstairs. He found Jack pouring over his English homework, making sure everything was correct, despite knowing it wouldn’t make a difference to the teacher.

True to his word, Jeremiah showed up five minutes later with a full gas can in hand. He placed it in the laundry and hugged Jack, asking how he was and trying to pretend he wasn’t being abused by his teacher. Jack smiled and Bobby noticed that it didn’t reach his eyes. After a few minutes, Jerry left and Bobby called out that he’d ‘swing ’round later’ for a visit. He turned back to Jack and saw that he was frowning, considering that Jerry had just left.

Bobby checked the can and found that Jerry had gotten the teacher’s address as well and smirked. He memorized it and took the can to his trunk. He put it away and turned to the house, staring at it and inhaling shakily. He wasn’t sure how Jack was going to react to that night, if he knew what Bobby did, but he wanted his baby brother to feel in control of something in his life, aside from his music. He only hoped that night would make Jack feel a little better about himself, as well.

* * *

 

“Hey, Ma! I’m headin’ ’round to Jerry’s for a little,” Bobby called from the front door as Jack walked down the stairs slowly, staring at him.

Evelyn appeared in the entrance to the living room and raised an eyebrow. “It’s a school night, Bobby. Don’t stay out too long, as you need to drop Jack off tomorrow.”

Bobby kissed Evelyn’s cheek and smiled, which he realized later was the worst thing to do. She was on her guard instantly and knew it was likely one or both of her boys would be bringing the police around. “I won’t be out too long. I promise.”

Evelyn raised an eyebrow, her eyes still a little suspicious, but she nodded. “Have fun, then.” She stepped back and watched as her sons left the house, making sure the phone was by her side for the rest of the night.

Bobby glanced at Jack and winked as he slipped out of the house. He went to the car and glanced at the trunk, knowing that he would need to do the unthinkable for his baby brother. He could only pray that Jack never fully pieced it together, as he didn’t want him to think his brother was a complete psychopath. It had taken him years to fully earn Jack’s trust and he didn’t want to throw it away over a teacher.

He slipped into the car and started it, heading in the opposite direction of Jerry’s place. Somehow, Bobby got the feeling that Ma knew exactly what he was doing, considering the look in her eyes. He wasn’t entirely sure how she knew that he was about to murder someone, but she seemed to know. He knew that she would keep Jack calm for the night, telling him that he was only going to Jeremiah’s and that he would be back within a few hours. Once he was done with the teacher, he would be tired and sore. He wasn’t planning on just murdering the man and leaving it at that.

 _No one_ got away with attacking a Mercer, especially when they’re in a position of power. A teacher should know better than to even raise their voice to a Mercer. Bobby wondered when the fear of the Mercer name wore off in the schools. When he attended, he’d beaten the shit out of anyone that he didn’t like glancing at him. Jeremiah wasn’t that bad, but he had a mean glare on him. Angel was exactly like Bobby and used the Mercer name to make sure the fear stayed alive.

Jack wasn’t anything like his brothers, though. He _could_ defend himself, but often preferred to pretend that the problem wasn’t there. Bobby loathed it when Jack locked everything away. If it wasn’t for the fact that he’d checked the book report, he never would’ve known that a teacher was abusing him. His grip tightened on the steering wheel as he veered into a gas station and bought a packet of cigarettes and a lighter.

As much as he adored Jack, Bobby wished he would learn to trust them with his problems. They couldn’t help him if they didn’t know there was a problem. He sighed as he drove towards a pretty shitty neighborhood and parked down the street from the teacher’s home. He saw two small shadows dart across the window and briefly wondered if the man had a family. It seemed that he did and Bobby felt a twinge of doubt, which he quickly crushed out. It didn’t matter if the man was living with his elderly mother, he wasn’t getting away from his punishment.

He sat back and waited for the time to tick by. He wasn’t looking forward to breaking into a family house and dragging the father out, but if came down to it, he knew how to do so quietly. He also needed to make sure he didn’t alert the neighbors, either. He’d already seen curtains twitching as people got curious about why someone was sitting in their car, outside of someone’s house. He yawned and glanced around, seeing no one approaching him and wished he’d picked up a coffee from the gas station. He looked up and smirked as the snow started falling silently.

Eventually, the lights of the neighboring houses went out and Bobby opened his door, stepping out. He waited another few minutes to make sure the owners were in their bedrooms, before he approached the house. He inspected the back porch and saw that someone was forced to smoke outside. Going to the side, Bobby checked the trashcan and saw that that day’s trash hadn’t been taken out yet. He glanced at the door, unsure if it was done at night or first thing in the morning.

His answer walked through the front door, as the teacher exited. He was groaning and rubbing his ribs, muttering about a ‘Mercer bitch,’ which made Bobby raise an eyebrow and grin. He knew that Jack would get a few licks in, but that also reminded him that it probably made it worse his baby brother. Bobby stepped around the trashcan as the teacher reached it and blindsided him with a punch. He fell down like a sack of potatoes and Bobby kicked him, just to make sure he was out.

As he strained under the weight of the teacher, Bobby found himself wishing he’d brought Jack with him. It would’ve been much easier to drag the unconscious ass to the car, rather than carry it. He dumped the guy in the passenger seat, so he could knock him out if needed and pulled away from the curb calmly, heading for the city’s exit. He scratched his neck, remembering the previous three times he’d taken the same route with an unconscious body in the car.

The other times, though, he had Angel or Jerry with him. He wanted them to know what he did to keep them safe, especially as Angel had a bad habit of pissing off people. Bobby had to take out two teachers that had raised their hand to Angel. He loved his little brother, but he had to learn to keep his mouth shut sometimes. It wasn’t that surprising, as Bobby had the same problem. He checked the time and saw that it was nearing midnight already and he still hadn’t left the city. He wasn’t going to get any sleep that night.

He glanced in the rearview mirror to make sure he wasn’t being followed. Whenever he was breaking the law, he always felt paranoid that someone knew what he was doing and would try to stop him, which would result in more bodies to dispose. He was grateful to see that cars were turning off and getting really close, before overtaking him. It seemed that no one had seen him take the teacher, which was a good thing. He usually wasn’t a big fan of the snow, but he found it was his friend that night.

Bobby glanced at the teacher, checking for signs that he was about to wake up. The guy was still out, which would make tying him up so much easier. He finally exited the city and continued driving, until he found his favorite entrance into a forest and pulled in. He stuck to the trail as much as possible, but when he was roughly four miles in, he veered off to the side and drove another few miles, before he finally parked the car and sat back, sighing.

He knew what needed to be done, but that honestly didn’t make it any easier. He was grateful that he didn’t bother to bring Jack along for it. He had no idea how his baby brother would handle it. Jack would never be like his brothers and that was something Bobby could live with. He wanted his baby brother to keep his innocence as long as possible, before the world took what he had left.

After a yawn, Bobby got out of the car and dragged out the still unconscious teacher, dropping him into the snow. He went to the trunk and got out of the rope, tying his wrists and elbows behind him back, before hog tying him. He grabbed the gas can and dragged the teacher through the snow and further into the woods. He wanted him far enough away from his car. He wasn’t sure how long he was walking, but by the time he stopped, the teacher was conscious and screaming for help, the car wasn’t in sight and Bobby was exhausted.

Bobby punched the teacher that was still screaming, as though someone would hear him. The punch was mostly to shut him up, as it was beginning to give him a headache. He was tired enough without the pounding in his head, which would stop him from thinking clearly. He wanted to make sure he got all the information he needed from the man, before he finished up for the night.

“Do you know who I am?” he demanded.

“ _Everyone_ knows who the Mercer brothers are! The scum of Detroit, as I like to think!”

Bobby laughed and nodded. “Yeah, I can’t say ya wrong there. There’s a small problem with us bein’ scum, though,” he said as he crouched down and noticed that the teacher flinched at the movement. “Ya bad mouthin’ my Ma and ain’t no one gonna get away with that.” He punched the man again, content when he heard something crack.

He took a moment to watch the pain play across the teacher’s face and then grabbed the gas can, opening it. He ran the nozzle under the man’s nose, smirking when the pain was replaced with fear. He rolled the man over and checked his pockets to make sure he had no identification on him and raised an eyebrow, grabbing his wallet. He opened it and saw a picture of the two kids he noticed running by the window.

“Now, I got a question for ya,” Bobby said as he crouched down again and removed the picture from the wallet, showing it to the man. “What would ya do if a teacher bruised ya kid?”

“I’d kill the fucker,” the man answered without hesitation and the realization of his words sank in almost instantly and Bobby stood.

“You tell me why it’s acceptable for you to hit my baby brother, but a teacher ain’t allowed to hit your kid?” The man remained silent, so Bobby kicked him in the gut, which formed him onto his back. “Why are you allowed to hit someone else’s kid?”

“Because it ain’t my kid!” the man shouted back and Bobby tilted his head.

Bobby’s eyes blazed with rage as he punched the man. He didn’t like that answer. “Well, he ain’t my kid, either. But he _is_ my brother and you fucked with the wrong kid! What else have ya done to him?” For every five seconds of silence Bobby punched him.

“I didn’t do anythin’ else to him!”

Bobby stepped back, panting slightly. It had been a while since he had a work out like that. He poured the gas over the man, taking care to make sure it didn’t splash onto him. He lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply, missing the feeling and rush of nicotine. “Are you lyin’ to me?” The man shook his head. “Do ya know why everyone knows about the Mercer brothers?”

“Because you’re all fucking insane! You’re a fucking _psychopath_!

Bobby took another step back, thinking it through. He couldn’t argue with that. He was a little psychotic, especially when it came to someone hurting what was his to protect. He took another hit off the cigarette, giving consideration to letting the fucker walk back home. However, he couldn’t allow the guy to bring Jack into the picture. He didn’t want the cops to put him in their scope, but he also knew there was the chance that the guy could kill Jack, just to get back at him.

With a sigh, he pulled the gun out of the back of his jeans and cocked it. He aimed it at the man, hearing him whimper and begin to plea for his life. “You really shoulda thought about what kid you were beatin’, man,” he stated and put a round through the man’s head. He dropped the cigarette on his body and watched as it went up in flames. He grabbed the gas can and went back to the car, not feeling as bad as he thought he would.

Putting away the gas can, Bobby got back into his car and turned it on, enjoying the warmth. He stared out the windshield, suddenly feeling much older than he was and much more tired. He wanted to go home, curl up and sleep for the next two days. He knew he couldn’t, though. He had to be awake to make sure Jack was dropped off at school and Ma had a few things that she wanted fixed around the house.

With a sigh, Bobby backed off the trail he created and headed out of the forest, knowing that the body wouldn’t be found for a couple of days or longer. No one walked that path. He discovered that when he wanted the body found quickly, but it took nearly a week. He also learned not to burn the body during summer, as it would create a fire and he would feel guilty about that. Not much, but a little, especially for the animals that he killed for no reason with it.

He glanced at the passenger seat and shook his head when he saw it empty. He turned on the radio, not caring what station it was on. He just needed the noise to keep him awake. He checked his watch as he re-entered the city and saw that it was nearing three in the morning. He wasn’t getting any sleep that night and he hoped that Ma had gone to bed. If she had stayed up to wait for him, he was going to feel extra guilty. He hated making her worry about him, especially since she knew he could take care of himself.

Bobby settled back in the seat, going into auto-pilot as he headed for home. He thought about the times that he took Jeremiah and Angel out to take care of their teacher problem. Both of them had seen him finish off the teachers, neither showing an ounce of guilt or regret for it. The second teacher to hurt Angel had been Angel’s first kill, which Bobby wasn’t too proud about. However, given what the teacher did to Angel, he knew his little brother needed to be the one to take his life to get some closure.

Parking outside of home, Bobby sat in the car for a little while. He tilted the rearview mirror to look at himself and saw that he had blood splatter on his face and clothing from the beat down he gave the teacher and the blowback from the bullet. He corrected the mirror and slipped out of the car, praying that no one was awake. He didn’t want to be seen like that. He’d noticed the blank look in his eyes and he knew that would just make Ma worry even more about him.

Using the backdoor, Bobby wasn’t surprised to see the kitchen light on and Ma sitting at the table with a cup of cold coffee in her hands. She looked up and relief passed through her eyes, as she stood and hugged Bobby tightly. She might not agree with what her son did, but she knew he did it out of love and a fierce protectiveness he had for his family, especially when it came to Jack.

Bobby couldn’t bring himself to return the hug and waited until she released him. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and collapsed into a chair, cracking the bottle and drinking the contents quickly. He sat back and sighed quietly, glancing up at the kitchen ceiling, before his eyes moved over to Ma. She nodded, answering his silent question. Jack was asleep and wouldn’t be any wiser, until he went to school and realized that the teacher was absent. He might have questions, but Bobby wasn’t going to give him any answers.

“I’ll take Jackie to school this morning. You need to shower and change.”

Bobby nodded and stood up, leaving the empty glass on the table. He trudged up the stairs, pulling off his jacket and sweatshirt. He froze at the top when Jack’s door opened. He was yawning and heading for the bathroom, oblivious to his shirtless older brother that still had blood splatter on him. He used the bathroom and returned to his room, pausing and stepping back, finally realizing that someone was standing on the stairs. He tilted his head slightly and smiled.

“Get back to bed, Cracker Jack,” Bobby ordered softly and kicked his boots off outside the bathroom. He gritted his teeth as he felt Jack’s hand on his shoulder. The touch seemed to burn him. “Bed – _now_.”

Jack sighed and nodded, going back to his bedroom and closing the door. Bobby stepped into the bathroom, not bothering to close the door. He turned on the shower and finished undressing. He stood under the spray, watching as the water was tinted red, before he scrubbed the blood off completely. He used the excuse of getting soap in his eyes to cry a little. He knew it wasn’t because of what he did that had him so upset, it was because he had failed a big brother.

Washing his face again, Bobby turned off the shower and grabbed his towel. He wrapped it around his hips and sat on the toilet lid, holding his head in his hands. He forced his head up when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder and saw his mother smiling at him gently, which just hammered in that he was a failure of a son and a brother. He looked away from her, staring at the tiles beneath his feet.

“Stop it, Bobby,” Evelyn commanded softly and forced him to stand up. She hugged him tightly, wanting her to know that she would always be there for him. “You didn’t fail him.”

“Except I did, Ma. He was hurt more than once because I wasn’t here or because I didn’t see the signs.” Bobby inhaled shakily and rested his head on his mother’s shoulder.

“Do you think Jackie blames you for what happened?”

Bobby shook his head. He knew that Jack would never blame him for anything, mostly because Jack thought everything that happened to him was his fault. He wished he could beat that out of his baby brother, but knew he had to be patient, which wasn’t his strongest trait. However, regardless of how Jack felt about him, Bobby knew he was to hold some of the blame. If he’d been around, maybe Jack would’ve told him that he was being attacked by a teacher.

“I still coulda done _somethin’_ to stop it from happenin’ more than once, Ma.”

Evelyn held Bobby’s face in her hands and forced him to look up. She hid her heartache at the guilt and shame in her son’s eyes. She detested it when Bobby felt like he’d failed as an older brother. There were only so many ways she could tell him that he wasn’t a failure, but she knew each time he had to kill in order to protect his family, the words were losing their meaning to him. She would need to talk to Jack about what happened, especially as Bobby would likely run away from the pain of his ‘failure.’

“No one could’ve stopped it, Bobby. You know this.” Seeing that it wasn’t working, Evelyn dragged Bobby out of the bathroom and opened Jack’s door. He was dead to the world, but had a gentle smile on his face as he hugged a pillow. “ _You_ put that smile on his face,” she whispered and made sure he at least glanced at Jack’s face. “ _You_ make him feel _safe_.”

Bobby looked at Jack’s sleeping face and nodded. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he never would’ve believed his baby brother had bruises on him from an authority figure that was meant to protect kids. He glanced at his mother, seeing the stern look in her eyes. He knew she hated it when he felt sorry for himself and he hated the way she felt like a failure when he felt that way. She had raised him to be self-aware and strong enough to protect his family.

Squaring his shoulders, Bobby raised his head. He knew he couldn’t shrug off the responsibility of being the oldest Mercer son. He never would, anyway. He loved the title and he would be damned if some piece of shit teacher would take that from him. He and Ma left Jack’s room before he woke up and found them watching him sleep, which would just raise questions that they weren’t ready to answer.

“Can I sleep in your room?” Bobby asked as he went to Angel’s room to change into something more appropriate to sleep in than a towel.

“Of course you can, Bobby,” Evelyn said and smiled warmly. “I just need to finish up downstairs.”

Bobby nodded and went into Angel’s room, pulling on a pair of sweatpants under the towel. He went to Ma’s room and pulled the spare pillows off her bed, dropping them on the floor. He was far too exhausted to find a blanket and it wasn’t like he could feel the cold. He still felt a little numb by everything that had happened that morning. He closed his eyes, ignoring the scared eyes of the English teacher he saw and the three other pairs he could see that always haunted him.

He kept his eyes closed as Ma came into the bedroom, grabbed her sleepwear and left to change in the bathroom. He remained ‘asleep’ while she placed one of her knitted blankets over him and got into bed and began reading the book she was on currently. He stayed the same way as he heard a gentle knock on the door and she called out for Jack to enter. Bobby was surprised that he was awake again, considering he seemed to be sleeping less than ten minutes ago.

“Mom?” Jack whispered and stepped into the room, not fully closing the door. Bobby remained passive as he felt Jack’s shocked eyes on him. He had no doubt that Jack expected him to be in Angel’s room or on the sofa “Did I do this?”

Evelyn closed her book and placed it on bedside chest. “Jackie, do you feel guilty about what happened?”

“No,” Jack whispered, his voice thick with emotions and Bobby fought to not roll his eyes. Jack would always be the most expressive of them. “I feel guilty that Bobby had to do it. He shouldn’t have to fight my battles for me. I’m nearly sixteen.”

“Jeremiah was seventeen when Bobby helped him with his teacher problem,” Evelyn explained and Bobby could hear the warm smile in her voice. It broke his heart that she had to live with a murderer. It broke his heart that she knew everything he did and he couldn’t stop. “Not everyone is cut out to be a big brother.”

Jack shuffled into the room and Bobby opened his eyes, looking under the bed. He saw that Jack was kneeling beside the bed, hands fidgeting in his lap. “He shouldn’t have to live with my mistakes, though. I tried to report the teacher, but the principal said if I was gonna lie, I should make it believable. I even showed him the bruises, but he just said that my brothers probably got too rough with me. I didn’t want Bobby…I didn’t want Bobby to know that I’m still so…”

“Jackie, hush,” Evelyn whispered. “Bobby does what he can for our family, because he loves us. No one will ever believe a Mercer over an ‘upstanding citizen,’ regardless of the proof they’re shown.” They were silent for a moment. “And don’t ever think that you’re weak, Jackie.”

“Why didn’t he take me with him when he did what…he did?”

“Do you think you would’ve wanted to see what he did?” Jack must’ve shaken his head. “Then why does it matter if he sent you away?”

Bobby watched as Jack rubbed his arms. “I don’t know,” he whispered. “I guess I’m a little upset that Angel and Jerry could see what he did, but I wasn’t allowed to.”

“Hey,” Evelyn said firmly and Jack’s hands stilled. “Bobby doesn’t think any less of you because you don’t live for violence the way your brothers do. He doesn’t think any less of you because you’re more sensitive than your brothers are. He loves you, Jackie and he always will.”

“I want to be like them, though. Nothing scares them—”

“That isn’t true, Jackie,” Evelyn cut in and pulled Jack up to sit on the edge of the bed. “Losing his family scares the hell out of Bobby. Not being able to protect his brothers scares him to death. He might not like that he has to kill to protect us, but he also knows that if he doesn’t remove the threat, it will just get worse. Angel and Jeremiah are the same way. Family is everything to your brothers and losing that or seeing one of us hurt, scares them. You just show that more than they do.”

Bobby closed his eyes, trying not to think about the shit he’s done to protect his family. He tried to act as though it didn’t take a toll on him, but it did. If he’d done something— _anything_ —sooner, his brothers wouldn’t have been hurt. The burden he carried as the big brother was his reminder that he failed somewhere to protect them. And he would take that over one of his brothers dying or worse, Ma.

“Can…Can I stay in here tonight?”

“Of course you can, Jackie. But you need to be in your pajamas and you need to bring in your pillows.” Jack left the room and Evelyn sighed softly. “Was there anything you wanted to add to that, Bobby?”

Eyes flying open, Bobby sat up and stared at his mother. She was smiling warmly and Bobby grinned, shaking his head. “I love ya, Ma.”

“I love you, too, Bobby. Now, go to sleep before Jackie gets back. Sweet dreams.”

Bobby settled down a minute before Jack entered the bedroom again, stepping over Bobby and getting into the bed beside Ma. “Good night, Mom.”

“Good night, Jackie.”

Jack rolled over and Bobby felt his eyes on him. “Good night, Bobby,” he whispered and Bobby felt a gentle brush of fingertips over his cheek. “Sweet dreams.”

For the first time in years, Bobby slept without the nightmares that plagued him. His mind focused on the first time Jeremiah, Angel and Jack came to live with him and Ma. It brought forth all the times they played hockey and the three of them teaching Jack how to skate. For the first time in decades, Bobby actually had a full night’s rest and woke up feeling better rather than worse.

He didn’t know what brought it on, until he realized that his family was all in the same room. Jack was right on the edge of the bed, curled into a small ball, but he had a gentle smile on his face. Evelyn was on her side, facing her boys, looking peaceful. It really was the simple things that made life worth it, he decided as he slipped out of the room and went downstairs to start a pot of coffee. It didn’t matter that he woke only a few hours later, before Ma’s alarm went off.

With the coffee going, Bobby used the bathroom and went back downstairs as Jack stumbled out of Ma’s room and into the bathroom. Bobby smiled and shook his head. The coffee had just finished when Jack came into the kitchen and grabbed a mug, glancing at Bobby and raising an eyebrow as he took in his attire. Somehow, despite not getting much sleep either, Jack looked refreshed and Bobby cursed a teenager’s ability to do that.

Jack sat down at the table and kept his eyes lowered for a moment, before he got to his feet and stood in front of Bobby. “I’m sorry you had to do that.”

“Don’t be. I ain’t sorry I did. I ain’t even sorry I had to do it.” Bobby placed a hand on Jack’s shoulder, smirking when he looked up. “That’s what family does, Jackie. They protect each other.” He pressed his forehead to Jack’s, staring into his eyes. “There’s _nothin’_ I wouldn’t do for my family…except kids, women and animals.”

Jack blinked and then chuckled, before he wrapped his arms around Bobby’s neck and hugged him tightly. “Thank you,” he whispered and pulled back.

“You’re welcome, Jackie. Now, finish ya coffee and get ready for school.” Bobby watched as Jack swallowed his coffee in two mouthfuls and ran upstairs, looking down the hallway and seeing a cop car pull up out the front. _Here we go_ , he thought as he sipped his coffee.


End file.
